MAINSPACE
7pm - Gary Lucas & Gods and Monstors with special guest Roswell Rudd
8pm - Henry Grimes Spaceship On The Highway
9pm - Jenny Scheinman with special guest Steven Bernstein
10pm - Steven Bernstein's Millennial Territory Orchestra
11pm - Misja Fitzgerald-Michel with special guest Ravi Coltrane
12am - Robert Glasper Trio
1am - Skerik's Maelstrom Trio
| TAP BAR
7:20pm - Anat Cohen Quintet
8:20pm - Heidi Martin's The Hide Experience
9:20pm - Marc Cary Focus Trio
10:20pm - Claudia Acuna
11:20pm - Jean Michel Pilc solo
12:20am - Gino Sitson 4
| OLD OFFICE
7:40pm - Kellylee Evans
8:40pm - Gregoire Maret & Federico Gonzalez Pena
9:40pm - Greg Lamy Trio
10:40pm - 2 Foot Yard
11:40pm - Dana Leong Ensemble
12:40am - Kneebody
***Schedule Subject to Change
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| 2 Foot Yard |
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| Claudia Acuña |
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| Dana Leong |
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January 20th Artist Bios, Website...
2 Foot Yard
Carla Kihlstedt – violin & voice
Marika Hughes – cello & voice
Shahzad Ismaily – percussion & guitar
These three outstanding young musicians take their audiences on a genre-defying journey through soundscapes that are as innovative as they are accessible. This is violin, cello and percussion as you've never heard them--played with power, passion, humor and virtuosic wit. In the hands of this bold and hard-grooving ensemble, each piece is a miniature slice of life that will change your viewpoint and charge your emotions. 2 Foot Yard shatters the boundaries between art song and pop song by merging the visceral power of rock with the intimacy and warmth of chamber music. Violin, cello, voice, and drums combine to create a cacophony of harmonic (im)balance culled from an astonishing array of musical influences, from acoustic punk to the twang of old country love ballads. This trio led by Tzadik recording artist Carla Kihlstedt (Tin Hat, Sleepytime Gorilla Museum) guarantees an off-kilter ride through the worlds of drama and melody. Combining the harmonic breadth of contemporary classical music and the spontaneity of improvisation, their diverse musical backgrounds come together in one cohesive and unique voice as 2 Foot Yard performs genre-breaking instrumentals and vocal miniatures. 2 Foot Yard is Carla Kihlstedt- violin & voice; Marika Hughes- cello & voice; and Shahzad Ismaily-percussion & guitar.
Website: www.2footyard.com.
Claudia Acuña
Jason Lindner – Piano
Omer Avital – bass
Clarence Penn – drums
Juancho Herrera – guitar & vocals
From Chile, Claudia Acuña knew early on that she wanted to be a singer but had no idea that she would find her way to jazz, as there were few opportunities for jazz encounters in Chile. She began by singing Chilean folk and pop music and later tried rock, fusion and opera before coming upon her first musical career model —Frank Sinatra— at age 15. After years of always improvising instead of just singing the notes on the page, Acuña finally felt at home when she heard Sinatra, Erroll Garner and then Sara Vaughan. She thought to herself: After finishing high school, Acuña moved to Santiago and headed for the one jazz club in town. She quickly made a name for herself in the small Santiago jazz scene and was featured on the club's live radio broadcast. Musicians told her she was a born jazz singer and she began sitting in with visiting jazz stars Wynton Marsalis, Michel Petrucciani, Joe Lovano and Danilo Perez. Finally Acuña decided she had to move to New York City if she were to fully explore jazz and make her way in the music. Not knowing much English, her goals were to learn the language, visit the legendary Village Vanguard and join in on jam sessions. She did all three and soon became a fixture at the influential Village jazz club Small's where she jammed regularly and befriended many musicians including Jason Lindner, now her pianist, collaborator and friend. But it was her job as a coat check girl at the Blue Note that provided Acuña with her highest-profile jam opportunity - a chance to sing in front of Betty Carter, one of her idols. Afterwards Carter came up to Acuña and proclaimed, "Surprise, surprise, the coat check girl can sing." And after five years in New York City, Verve Records signed that coat check girl and issued well-received recordings: Wind from the South and Rhythm of Life. Critics praised the newcomer:
Website: www.claudiaacuna.com.
Dana Leong Ensemble
Dana Leong – cello, trombone, laptop beats, composer
Baba Israel – vocals/rap
Jason Lindner – keyboards
Aviv Cohen – drums
There's a chance you haven't heard of a guy named Dana Leong, yet. However you may have heard his work without even knowing it as he is a 2006 Grammy-Nominated Performer and Producer deeply entrenched in the music scene in New York & beyond. As a multi-instrumentalist on cello & trombone, Dana is being called upon by the likes of Beyoncé Knowles, Evanescence, Alanis Morissette, Wynton Marsalis, The Roots, and many others for his inspiring originality, revolutionary instrumental techniques and studio magic. He has been described most accurately as "Yo-Yo Ma meets Jimi Hendrix" and appears quite often with 8-time Grammy Award winner Paquito D'Rivera's Trio (a chair also frequented by Yo-Yo Ma). Dana's sound is a fusion of computerized electronic hip-hop funk rhythms and rock propulsions. While playing the cello or trombone, Dana also uses his laptop onstage to integrate electronic soundscapes.
Website: www.danaleong.com.
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| Anat Cohen |
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Anat Cohen Quartet
Anat Cohen - clarinet
Jason Lindner - piano
Omer Avital - bass
Daniel Freedman - drums
*Avishai Cohen - special guest on trumpet
On her new album Poetica, Anat Cohen is joined by a jazz quartet comprised of pianist Jason Lindner, bassist Omer Avital, drummer Daniel Freedman and string quartet on four tracks. Cohen plays clarinet exclusively, with a technique that allows her to fully execute her ideas, bending notes with vocal-like klezmer and blues inflections, she shares different songs from her journey; old and modern Israeli songs, Brazilian songs, John Coltrane, Jacques Brel, as well as original music – all brought together with her own vision through the clarinet.
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| Gary Lucas |
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| Gino Sitson |
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| Greg Lamy |
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Gary Lucas and Gods & Monsters
Gary Lucas – guitar/composer
Billy Ficca - drums
Ernie Brooks - bass
Jason Cander - alto sax
Hailed as "one of the best and most original guitarists in America" by Rolling Stone, selected by DownBeat as among their "66 Hot 6-Stringers", GARY LUCAS leads his longtime band GODS AND MONSTERS on intense psychedelic excursions into jazz, rock, blues and beyond...GODS AND MONSTERS is an avant-punk supergroup featuring Gary on guitar and vocals, plus Billy Ficca (Television) on drums, Ernie Brooks (Modern Lovers) on bass, and Jason Candler (Hungry March Band) on alto sax. Their latest album "Coming Clean" (Mighty Quinn) has received 4 star reviews worldwide: "His playing is astounding...but always for the sake of the song". writes Rolling Stone, songs "that carry his characteristic warmth and wit... the band is a formidable unit" said MOJO. "Revelatory is the word" -- Record Collector. Hearing is believing!
Website: www.garylucas.com.
Gino Sitson 4
Gino Sitson – vocals/composer
Klaus Mueller – piano
Lonnie Plaxico – bass
Jeff "Tain" Watts – drums
New
York-based vocal virtuoso Gino Sitson is from the Bamileke region of
Cameroon, Central Africa. He comes from a long line of musicians, known
as Ntontas, ("players of horns") and his mother is a vocalist and choir
director. He and his siblings were introduced to blues, jazz and
African traditional music early in life. Before embarking upon a
professional career in music, Gino Sitson divided his time between
music studies and the Sorbonne University in Paris, where he earned
degrees in languages and ethnomusicology. He was gradually drawn into
the multi-cultural Paris music scene, initially as a drummer, then as a
singer. Mr Sitson’s four-octave voice plus his skills as a composer and
arranger put him in high demand for recording sessions and for
commercials and radio / television jingles (Danone, Peugeot, etc). He
has laid down tracks or shared the stage with Manu Dibango, Ron Carter,
Papa Wemba, Wally Badarou, Geri Allen, David Gilmore, Ray Lema, Craig
Harris, James Hurt, Antoine Roney, Jorge Ben, John William, Mario
Canonge, Wallace Roney, Brice Wassy, Oliver N’Goma, Exile One, Steve
Potts, So Why? (featuring Youssou N’Dour, Papa Wemba, Wally Badarou,
Jabu Khanyile & Bayete, Lourdes Van-Dunem, and Lucky Dube), La
Compagnie Créole, among others. After the release of his first album,
Vocal Deliria, which was acclaimed by the press, Gino toured in France
and abroad with his Vocal-Afro-Jazz group. Gino Sitson "Vocal Deliria"
(Polyvocal Records/ Night & Day) was named one of JAZZMAN's Best of
May 1996 Jazz CDs. Sitson’s second album, Song Zin’ (I Want To Tell
You), was released in April 2002 to rapturous worldwide acclaim. It was
selected by the Los Angeles Times as a “Top Ten Jazz CD of 2002” and
nominated for a Kora award (Africa’s equivalent of a Grammy). His
latest release (recorded in New York City), Bamisphere, features Ron
Carter, Jeff "Tain" Watts, Essiet Essiet, and Helio Alves and will be
released on 18th & Vine Records/Allegro. It is an adventurous
soundscape comprised of a dozen all-new tunes in which ancient memories
and fresh aspirations join forces and are transformed into expressions
of joy, loss and one-world philosophy. This album confirms Gino
Sitson’s talent as a composer/arranger and as an outstanding singer.
Website: www.ginositson.com.
Greg Lamy Quartet
Greg Lamy – guitar/composer
Massimo Biolcati – bass
Ferenc Nemeth - drums
Javier Vercher - sax
Guitarist
Greg Lamy is an American native of New Orleans who divides his time
living, working and creating between Luxembourg & Brussels and New
York. It was there that he studied classical and electric guitar in the
late eighties -and there that he mastered the art of jazz music. And
like many musicians of his generation, he went on to further study at
the Berklee College of Music, and in 2001 created the Greg Lamy
Quartet. The repertoire of Greg Lamy and his group consists of some
jazz standards as well as the guitarist’s personal compositions, with
an approach which is characterized by serious knowledge and feeling for
the jazz tradition played with true emotion. The Greg Lamy quartet is
on its way up- with appearances in international clubs and European
festivals. In april 06 the Greg Lamy Quartet recorded in Brooklyn a new
CD.
Website: www.greglamy.com
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| Gregoire Maret |
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| Heidi Martin |
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| Henry Grimes |
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Gregoire Maret and Federico Gonzalez Pena
Gregoire Maret – Harmonica
Federico Gonzalez Pena – Keyboards
Swiss
born Gregoire Maret began his musical career as a harmonica player at
age 17. Soon after he attended the Superior Conservatory of Music in
Geneva and subsequently pursued his study of the harmonica in the Jazz
Department of New School University in 1995. He graduated with a
Bachelor of Fine arts in 1998 and has been on the move ever since. His
collaborations on stage and in the studio are a who's who of well-known
jazz artists. He has shared spaces with the likes of Leo Tardin, Reggie
Workman, Charles Tolliver, Max Roach, Tito Puente, Duke Ellington
Orchestra, Pete la Roca, Ray Brown, Cassandra Wilson, Charlie Hunter
Group, Steve Coleman, Me'Shell Ndegeocello, Terri Lyne Carrington, Ravi
Coltrane, The Jimmy Scott Sextet, Jacky Terrasson Quintet and Andy
Milne and Dapp Theory. Federico Gonzalez Pena was born February 5th
1966 in Montevideo, Uruguay. After moving to Buenos Aires, Argentina,
Federico took up the drums at age 4. Even though percussion came
naturally for him he soon discovered the piano at his grandmother's
house, herself a very accomplished pianist and organist. Federico was
accepted by world-renowned Argentine concert pianist Antonio de Raco
(early teacher to Martha Argerich and a contemporary of Claudio Arrau).
Once in the US and after attending the Berklee College of Music for 1
year the young keyboardist moved to Washington DC and began playing
with some of the area's top Go-Go bands. It was during this 3 year
stint that he met Meshell N'Degeocello and the two began a long
association that saw many highlights along the way including various
albums and world tours. Federico has also worked with Angela Boffill ,
Pieces of a Dream , Digable Planets , Maxwell , Alana Davis , George
Howard , Roy Hargrove, Chaka Khan and many others. Currently,a trio
recording project is in the works alongside longtime friends Gregoire
Maret and Gene Lake.Federico continues to write and produce whenever
time permits.
Website: www.gregoiremaret.com.
Heidi Martin’s The Hide Experience
Heidi Martin – vocals/composer
Janelle Gil – Piano & Keyboard
Kris Funn – Bass
Jay Nichols – Drums
Kelela Mizanekristos – Vocal
“…spirited and self assured..." - The Washington Post“
“Martin
has a vision—oneness with all—and she promotes it with her lyrics. She
cuts to the chase with little conversation, more Hemingway than
Faulkner… demanding, inventive recording that pays the listener
dividends in thoughtful consideration and insight.” - All About Jazz
Vocalist
and composer Heidi Martin began her career singing in church in her
native, Washington, DC. A protégé of legendary drummer/vocalist Grady
Tate, Martin flourished under his direction and soon introduced herself
to the New York jazz scene in a rewarding showcase at Birdland. She
went on to perform at infamous New York haunts such as; the Blue Note,
the Knitting Factory, Zinc Bar (w/Ron Affif) and Metronome, among
others and nationwide at, Zanzibar Blue, Blues Alley and Twins Lounge.
In March 2006, Martin was hand-picked to compete in the 2006 London
International Jazz Vocal Competition (LIJC), where she placed as a top
finalist among some 107 competitors from over 25 nations. Her song, Why
Do I? made its film debut in REVOLUTION '67, a documentary concerning
the 1967 Newark riots by Emmy-nominated husband and wife team, Jerome
Bongiorno and Marylou Tibaldo Bongiorno. The film most recently
screened at the 27th Annual IFP Market in New York. Her latest
endeavor, HIDE features a blend of characters who lend their genius to
the ‘lyric’ including; on tabla Badal Roy, on harmonica Gregoire Maret,
bassist Eric Revis, drummer Dana Murray, pianists Orrin Evans and James
Hurt on organ, percussionist Kahlil Kwame Bell, guitarist Thor Madsen,
and horn players Sherman Irby, Vincent Gardner and Sean Edmonds. AAJ
praised the recording, “…Primarily a lyrics-oriented recording,
employing the sparest (and most tasteful) accompaniment as a vehicle
for her words and images. Lyrically, Hide is a humidly anxious
recording peppered with piquant, frank sensual/sexual/spiritual
imagery…a breezy stroll through the Civil Rights movement at a level
deeper than the mere political.
Website: www.heidimartin.com.
Henry Grimes Spaceship on the Highway
Fred Anderson - tenor saxophone
Marshall Allen - alto saxophone
Henry Grimes – bass
Avreeayl Ra – percussion
Philadelphia
native Henry Grimes performed with Anita O'Day, Sonny Rollins, and the
Gerry Mulligan Quartet. A versatile instrumentalist, Grimes at the 1958
Newport Jazz Festival with the Benny Goodman Big Band, Lee Konitz,
Sonny Rollins, and Thelonious Monk. In 1961 he became a respected
contributor to the Free Jazz movement, working regularly with Cecil
Taylor, Perry Robinson, Sonny Rollins, Albert Ayler and Don Cherry. By
1967, however, Grimes disappeared completely from jazz. Following three
and half decades of destitution, he resurfaced in 2003, after residing
in a South Central Los Angeles hotel for nearly 20 years. He now
performs regularly with many of the leaders of modern Jazz. Chicago's
Fred Anderson, an “old-school” musician in terms of grounding and early
influences, was a founding member of the Association for the
Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM). He studied with Gene Ammons,
Coleman Hawkins, and Lester Young, and has reflected that training
throughout his career, while also easily absorbing the new ideas
pioneered by Ornette Coleman and other free theorists. It is this
ability to merge old and new that has made Anderson a seminal figure in
this music. Spaceship also includes Sun Ra Arkestra maestro Marshall
Allen, who performed with pianist Art Simmons, Don Byas and James Moody
before joining the Arkestra in 1958 and leading Sun Ra's formidable
reed section for next 40 years. Percussionist Avreeayl Ra was described
by the Chicago Tribune as “An indispensable innovator”, who “shapes the
music-making swirling around him with remarkable precision and poise;
extraordinarily sensitive percussion.” Avreeayl is a long-term member
of the Chicago AACM. He has performed Amiri Baraka, Fontella Bass,
Lester Bowie, Henry Byrd (”Professor Longhair”), Malachi Favors, Sun
Ra, and Pharoah Sanders.
Website: www.henrygrimes.com.
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| Jean-Michel Pilc |
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| Jenny Scheinman |
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Jean-Michel Pilc solo
Born
in Paris in 1960, Pilc worked as a rocket scientist with the French
Space Agency before becoming a full-time musician. Largely self-taught,
he was a jazz devotee by age 8 which is when he first heard Bix
Biederbecke. After building a respectable musical career in Europe,
Pilc arrived in the U.S. in 1995 and soon signed on as musical director
for Harry Belafonte (who wrote the liner notes for Pilc's 2002 Dreyfus
debut, Welcome Home). To date, Pilc has played with such greats as Roy
Hanes, Michael Brecker, Dave Liebman, John Abercrombie, Jean Toussaint,
Martial Solal, Michel Portal, Marcus Miller and Lenny White and made
recent sideman appearances with his esteemed peers Ari Hoenig, Sam
Newsome, Rosario Giuliani, Richard Bona and more. But Pilc's
accomplishments as a leader have garnered the widest praise. The
legendary critic Dan Morgenstern chose Pilc's masterful Cardinal Points
as a top-ten album of 2003. JazzTimes enthused that it 'should be
studied in every music school in the galaxy...' Pilc's follow -up, the
solo piano tour de force Follow Me, was one of Howard Reich's top 2004
picks in the Chicago Tribune. Andrew Durkin of All About Jazz wrote:
'Pilc leans toward a comprehensive pianism, ably expressing-on a single
instrument, no less-so much of what has made jazz fascinating,
problematic, or inspiring over the last hundred years.' 'Beyond all
that can be said about his masterful technique and his beauty of touch,
it is the unpredictability that is central to his remarkable talent. As
one listens to each selection, be they vintage or newborn, one is taken
into his world of improvisation where the unexpected is constant.'
-Harry Belafonte
Website: www.jmpilc.com.
Jenny Scheinman
Jenny Scheinman – violin/composer
Doug Weiselman – clarinet
Steve Cardenas – guitar
Tim Luntzel – bass
Dan Rieser – drums
Jenny
Scheinman, violinist/composer, was voted the #1 Rising Star Violinist
in the 2005, 2004 and 2003 Downbeat Critics' Polls, has performed and
recorded extensively with Bill Frisell as well as Norah Jones,
Madeleine Peyroux, Nels Cline, Vinicius Cantuaria, Marc Ribot and Myra
Melford. She grew up playing folk music with her family in northern
California, studied at Oberlin Conservatory, and has been performing as
a jazz violinist since she was a teenager. In the last several years
she has released four recordings of original music: Live at Yoshi's
(Avant, 1999), The Rabbi's Lover (Tzadik, 2001), Shalagaster (Tzadik,
2003), and most recently, 12 Songs (Cryptogramophone, 2005) which
features Bill Frisell, Ron Miles, Doug Wieselman, Rachelle Garniez, Tim
Luntzel and Dan Rieser.
Website: www.jennyscheinman.com.
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| Kneebody |
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Kneebody
Shane Endsley - trumpet, effects
Ben Wendel - saxophone, fffects
Adam Benjamin - fender rhodes
Kaveh Rastegar - bass
Nate Wood - drums
Kneebody represents the state of the art in genre-bending postmodern creative music. On stage, the band combines sophisticated instrumental compositions and virtuosic improvising, never failing to astonish even the most discerning ears.
Kneebody effortlessly blends seemingly limitless influences (from Hendrix and Aphex Twin to Reich and Ellington) into a cohesive voice at once singular and familiar. Their incomparable success at combining the depth of jazz with the swagger of hip hop and the conviction of rock has been winning over any fan of great music from the U.S. and Europe for five years strong. As one devotee put it, "If you're a Kneebody fan, you're a fanatic."
"...convincingly effortless....The full impact of Kneebody is in the ensemble. Their cohesive poise is what sells the experiment." -Jazz Times
"Kneebody is the future" -LA Music Scene
"...spontaneous and exciting. The writing is fresh...." -Downbeat Magazine
"An update of the rugged, exploratory early fusion of
Weather Report and Return to Forever." -New York Times
www.kneebody.com
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| Kellylee Evans |
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| Marc Cary |
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| Misja Fitzgerald-Michel |
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Kellylee Evans
Kellylee Evans – vocals
Kevin Ramessar – guitar, trumpet
Jerome Jeffrey – guitar
Matthew Lima – bass
Adam Bowman – drums
Singer and songwriter and Toronto native Kellylee Evans is a unique voice in the urban-jazz world and some of the world's top musicians have taken notice. In 2004, Evans won second place in the Monk Jazz Vocals Competition. Judges for the competition included Quincy Jones, Kurt Elling and Dee Dee Bridgewater. Her debut album, which was co-produced by Lonnie Plaxico (Cassandra Wilson) and recorded in a whirlwind two-day session with the help of a crack New York band, is an eclectic but focused effort, held together by her rich, expressive vocal range. The critically acclaimed album was featured as a Barnes and Noble Discover New Music title alongside Corinne Bailey Rae and Gnarls Barkley. Her energy charged performances to sold out shows have led to invites to open for Tony Bennett and Maceo Parker.
Website: www.kellyleeevans.com
Marc Cary Focus Trio
Marc Cary – piano/composer
David Ewell – bass
Sameer Gupta – drums and tablas.
On this debut recording of his FOCUS Trio, pianist Marc Cary brings into sharp focus his many influences - from deep-feeling indigenous world rhythms to bop to classical lyricism. Cary's imaginative key-work, well known from his gigs with Stefon Harris, Betty Carter, Abby Lincoln, Roy Hargrove, and Wynton Marsalis, among others, gained him a recent nod from/Down Beat/ as one of the four "most multi-dimensional" keyboard players on the scene today. His new release,*/ FOCUS/* (June 27 Release, Motema Music) reveals those multi-dimensions in sensual living color. Lounging in the Parlor floor of the Langston Hughes house in Harlem, pianist and composer Marc Cary is as cool and collected as they come. The brownstone once inhabited by the renowned poet is currently being transformed into a studio and performance space. Taking his inspiration from Abbey Lincoln, with whom Cary played with for many years, he plans to transform the Parlor level into a refuge for artists and musicians. In the meanwhile the FOCUS Trio featuring Marc Cary will release their debut album,*/ FOCUS/*, on the Motema label. Cary anticipates it with calm earnestness; "With this trio I'm really trying to focus all energy into swinging and expressing myself in the best way possible." The FOCUS Trio consists of* Sameer Gupta* on drums and tabla and* David Ewell* on bass. The three musicians met about five years ago on the Left coast. Cary was introduced to Sameer Gupta through close associate and jazz impresario Charles Brack, whom Cary met while playing with trumpeter Russell Gunn at the San Francisco Jazz Festival.
Website: www.marccary.com
Misja Fitzgerald Michel with Ravi Coltrane & Drew Gress
Misja Fitzgerald Michel – guitar/composer
Ravi Coltrane – sax
Drew Gress – bass
The French guitarist was born in Holland on October 13th 1973 and began playing guitar at the age of 7. In 1992 he traveled to Banff in Canada to study with Kenny Wheeler, Robin Eubanks, Mick Goodrick, and Anthony Braxton. As a member of the French conservatory big band at the Rotterdam Music Academy, he took part in the master classes of Michel Portal, George Russell, Jim Hall, Bob Brookmeyer, Joe Lovano, and Gary Peacock. Being awarded the “Lavoisier scholarship” by the French ministry of culture, he studied in New york's New School with Jim Hall, Billy Harper, Kenny Werner and John Abercrombie, during which he played with saxophonist Ravi Coltrane, trumpet player Graham Haynes, drummers Billy Hart and Gerard Faroux. Upon his return to Paris Michel recorded his first self produced live CD “Live at la Villa” and then his second in 2002, “On The Edge” with Drew Gress, Nasheet Waits and Ravi Coltrane as a guest. Website: www.misja-fitzgerald-michel.com.
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| Robert Glasper |
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| Skerik |
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| Steven Bernstein |
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Robert Glasper Trio
Robert Glasper – piano/composer
Vicente Archer – bass
Damion Reid – drums28-year old Houston-born pianist Robert Glasper is building a career
that
obliterates the idea of Jazz purism. Glasper draws influence from
eclectic sources including Gospel music (as a teenager he used to
accompany his mother, a singer, in church), Hip Hop (he's gigged with
Q-Tip, Mos Def, The Roots), and Rock (his cover of Radiohead's
"Everything In Its Right Place" combines it with the melody of Herbie
Hancock's "Maiden Voyage"). Glasper's 2005 Blue Note Records debut
Canvas was awarded 4-stars in DownBeat, and saw rave reviews everywhere
from TIME magazine to Billboard, with The New York Times proclaiming
that his trio with bassist Vicente Archer and drummer Damion Reid
"deserves comparison with the best of the newer piano trios, those led
by Jason Moran, Bill Charlap and Brad Mehldau." Blue Note will release
Glasper's second album, In My Element, on March 20, 2007.
Website: www.robertglasper.com.
Skerik's Maelstrom Trio
Skerik – tenor sax/composer
Brian Coogan – Hammond A-100 & Nord Electro
Simon Loft – drums
The
one-named saxophone legend Skerik hails from Seattle where he has been
famous to a few for his seminal work in punk-jazz bands including
Garage-A-Trois (with Charlie Hunter, Stanton Moore & Mike Dillon);
Critters Buggin (on Stone Gossard's Loose Groove Label); Ponga (with
Wayne Horvitz & Bobby Previte) and Black Frames. Skerik grew up in
Seattle and was exposed early on to jazz by his father, who was a big
fan of jazz musicians like Count Basie and Dave Brubeck. Skerik
received some early mentorship from the teachers in his school's music
program, playing in the jazz ensemble, orchestra and getting turned on
to saxophone legends like Charlie Rouse, Booker Ervin, Don Byas, John
Coltrane, Sonny Rollins and Wayne Shorter. Outside of school, he also
had a rock band and was inspired by the saxophone playing on albums by
the Rolling Stones and Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon. Soon, Skerik
became a highly sought band member and MVP guest of many different
bands, recording with Stanton Moore on Flyin' The Koop, Les Claypool's
Frog Brigade, Tuatara, and Ponga, while touring and performing with
Roger Waters (of Pink Floyd), Galactic, John Scofield, Medeski, Martin
& Wood, Mike Clark's Funk All-Stars with Fred Wesley, Charlie
Hunter, Robert Walter, and DJ Logic. Currently, apart from his work
with the Syncopated Taint Septet, Skerik is active with several groups
that either he leads or co-leads, such as Black Frames, Garage-A-Trois,
Critters Buggin, and a free improvisation duo with Mike Dillon.
Although he is certainly inspired and informed by jazz, Skerik's
diverse musical background in so many different types of music enables
him to bring something unique the table. "I wouldn't really consider
myself a jazz musician. That's a twelve-hour-a-day job, and I like too
many other kinds of music to make that kind of commitment to one style.
On the other hand, as I get older, sometimes all I really want to do is
play ballads with a quartet like John Coltrane. Still, that's a huge
responsibility, because I feel every musician should try their hardest
to bring something new to the music, and that takes a lot of hard work."
Website: www.myspace.com/maelstromtrio
Steven Bernstein's Millennial Territory Orchestra
Steven Bernstein – trumpet and slide trumpet / composer
Matt Munisteri – guitar
Ben Allison – bass
Charlie Burnham – violin
Ben Perowsky – drums
Erik Lawrence – multi-reeds
Doug Wieselman – multi-reeds
Peter Apfelbaum – multi-reeds
Clark Gayton – trombone
Steven
has a million things going on, including but not limited to his work in
bands such as the Millennial Territory Orchestra and Sex Mob (which was
just nominated for a Grammy!), soundtrack recordings, teaching gigs and
various excursions in studios and on bandstands with other artists,
furthering the glory of the slide trumpet. His nine-piece outfit MTO,
which first came together in 1999 for a midnight show at the downtown
New York club Tonic, features some of Gotham’s most original musical
voices, wicked and well-traveled improvisers who tear into and savor
Bernstein’s arrangements like the tangiest Kansas City barbecue. The
vibrancy of the playing, the wit and sass of the arrangements, uncovers
the genetic code that makes Bennie Moten and Prince funk-soul brothers
of the first order. The group features: guitarist Matt Munisteri,
bassist Ben Allison, violinist Charlie Burnham, drummer Ben Perowsky,
multi-reedists Erik Lawrence, Doug Wieselman and Peter Apfelbaum,
trombonist Clark Gayton and, of course, Bernstein on trumpet and slide
trumpet. “Using the instrumentation and arrangement idiosyncrasies of
the “territory bands” that roamed the U.S. midsection in the pre-big
band era, Mr. Bernstein finds a way to unite the sexy groove of nearly
a century of great music from Don Redman to Sly Stone to today.” –
PopMatters.com
Website: www.stevenbernstein.net
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